Research Portfolio: California Commodities Industries

Client country:Australia (UK EnglishAssignment extract:
Hurdle requirement: The item has been presented in the medium of written English. Sentences are structured and conform to academic writing guidelines. The paper has an identifiable structure including an introduction, a main body, and conclusion. The paper follows the Harvard Referencing Style.
The response provides background to the case supported by at least five (5) academic references from peer reviewed journals.
The response provides a PESTEL analysis of the case and is supported by at least five (5) academic references from peer reviewed journals.
The response provides a Five Forces Analysis of the case. (Comprehensive)

The response provides recommendations for the Business Level resources and capabilities required to resolve the case.(Comprehensive)

Assessment Task 3 – Research Portfolio

Case Briefing Note:

It is alleged the Californian nut producing industry is suffering from wide-scale, highly sophisticated theft at all stages of the supply chain.

Media reports also suggest theft on similar scales is affecting other commodity industries in that state, including both avacado and pistachio nuts.

Your task is to investigate, assess and provide recommendations for this situation by conducting in-depth research via popular media academic articles.

Your response should include the following:

1) Introduction

2) Background to the situation

3) A PESTEL analysis, supported by at least five (5) academic references from peer reviewed journals, describing the business landscape upon which the nut and other commodity industries operate in this primary production sector in California

4) A Five Forces analysis, supported by at least five (5) academic references from peer reviewed journals, of ONE of the these commodity industries suffering large-scale and elaborate theft

5) Identification of five (5) organisations with the resources and capabilities to prevent theft in the industry

6) The business level resources and capabilities required to prevent large-scale and elaborate theft within the affected companies

7) Provide a summary of findings and recommendations for companies involved in these sectors to make their business more resilient to large-scale and elaborate theft

Case Background Material:

http://modernfarmer.com/2013/11/sophisticated-large-scale-thefts-plague-californias-nut-industry/

https://www.outsideonline.com/2186526/nut-job

https://qz.com/663152/a-10-million-nut-heist-is-a-window-into-the-shady-lucrative-world-of-large-scale-food-theft/

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/31/us/nut-thefts-california/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/14/california-nut-thefts-agriculture-shipments-almonds

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/01/thieves-are-ravaging-californias-nut-farms.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3539168/Thieves-targeting-California-almonds-walnuts.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/thieves-stealing-nuts-in-california-2014-1?IR=T

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/18/high-tech-criminals-hit-california-with-spate-of-nut-thefts/

http://fleetowner.com/fleet-management/cargo-theft-now-tougher-nut-crack

http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20161020/californias-multi-billion-dollar-nut-boom-keeps-going